Section VI - The Line of Teachers

Verse 2.6.1:

अथ वंशः, पौतिमाष्यो गौपवनात्, गौपवनः पौतिमाष्यात्, पौतिमाष्यो गौपवनात्, गौपवनः कौशिकात्, कौशिकः कौण्डिन्यात्, कौण्डिन्यः शाण्डिल्यात्, शाण्डिल्यः कौशिकाच्च गौतमाच्च, गौतमः ॥ १ ॥

atha vaṃśaḥ, pautimāṣyo gaupavanāt, gaupavanaḥ pautimāṣyāt, pautimāṣyo gaupavanāt, gaupavanaḥ kauśikāt, kauśikaḥ kauṇḍinyāt, kauṇḍinyaḥ śāṇḍilyāt, śāṇḍilyaḥ kauśikācca gautamācca, gautamaḥ || 1 ||

1. Now the line of teachers: Pautimāṣya (received it) from Gaupavana. Gaupavana from another Pautimāṣya. This Pautimāṣya from another Gaupavana. This Gaupavana from Kauśika. Kauśika from Kanṇḍiriya. Kauṇḍinya from Śāṇḍilya. Śāṇḍilya from Kauśika and Gautama. Gautama—

 

Verse 2.6.1:

आग्निवेश्यात्, अग्निवेश्यः शाण्डिल्याच्चानभिम्लाताच्च्, आनभिम्लात आनभिम्लातात्, आनभिम्लात् आनभिम्लातात्, आनभिम्लात आनभिम्लातात्, आनभिम्लात आनभिम्लातात्, आनभिम्लातो गौतमात्, गौतमः सैतवप्राचीनयोग्याभ्याम्, सैतवप्राचीनयोग्यौ पाराशर्यात्,पाराशर्यो भारद्वाजात्, भारद्वाजो भारद्वाजाच्च गौतमाच्च गौतमो भारद्वाजाद् भारद्वाजात्, भारद्वाजः पाराशर्यात्, पाराशर्यो वैजवापायनात्, वैजवापायनः कौशिकायनेः, कौशिकायनिः ॥ २ ॥

āgniveśyāt, agniveśyaḥ śāṇḍilyāccānabhimlātācc, ānabhimlāta ānabhimlātāt, ānabhimlāt ānabhimlātāt, ānabhimlāta ānabhimlātāt, ānabhimlāta ānabhimlātāt, ānabhimlāto gautamāt, gautamaḥ saitavaprācīnayogyābhyām, saitavaprācīnayogyau pārāśaryāt,pārāśaryo bhāradvājāt, bhāradvājo bhāradvājācca gautamācca gautamo bhāradvājād bhāradvājāt, bhāradvājaḥ pārāśaryāt, pārāśaryo vaijavāpāyanāt, vaijavāpāyanaḥ kauśikāyaneḥ, kauśikāyaniḥ || 2 ||

2. From Āgniveśya. Āgniveśya from Śāṇḍilya and Anabhimlāta. Ānabhimlāta from another of that name. He from a third Ānabhimlāta. This Ānabhimlāta from Gautama. Gautama from Saitava and Prācīnayogya. They from Pārāśarya. Pārāśarya from Bharadvāja. He from Bharadvāja and Gautama. Gautama from another Bhāradvāja. He from another Pārāśarya. Pārāśarya from Baijavāpāyana. He from Kauśikāyani. Kauśikāyani—

 

Verse 2.6.3:

घृतकौशिकाद्, घृतकौशिकः पाराशर्यायणात्, पारशर्यायणः पाराशर्यात्, पाराशर्यो जातूकर्ण्यात्, जातूकर्ण्य आसुरायणाच्च यास्काच्च, आसुरायणस्त्रैवणेः, त्रैवणिरौपजन्धनेः, अउपजन्धनिरासुरेः, अउसुरिर्भारद्वाजात्, भारद्वाज आत्रेयात्, अत्रेयो माण्टेः, माण्टिर्गौतमात्, गौतमो गौतमात्, गौतमो वात्स्यात्, वात्स्यः शाण्डिल्यात्, शाण्डिल्यः कैशोर्यात्काप्यात्, कैशोर्यः काप्यः कुमारहारितात्, कुमारहारितो गालवात्, गालवो विदर्भीकौण्डिन्यात्, विदर्भीकौण्डिन्यो वत्सनपातो बाभ्रवात्, वत्सनपाद्बाभ्रवः पथः सौभरात्, पन्थाः सौभरोऽयास्यादाङ्गिरसात्, अयास्य आङ्गिरस आभूतेस्त्वाष्ट्रात्, आभूतिस्त्वाष्ट्रो विश्वरूपात्त्वाष्ट्रात्, विश्वरूपस्त्वाष्ट्रोऽश्विभ्याम्, अश्विनौ दधीच आथर्वणात्, दध्यङ्ङाथर्वणोऽथर्वणो दैवात्, अथर्वा दैवो मृत्योः प्राध्वंसनात्, मृत्युः प्राध्वंसनः प्रध्वंसनात्, प्रध्वंसन एकर्षेः, एकर्षिर्विप्रचित्तेः, विप्रचित्तिर्व्यष्टेः, व्यष्टिः सनारोः, सनारुः सनातनात्, सनातनः सनगात् सनगः परमेष्ठिनः, परमेष्ठी ब्रह्मणः, ब्रह्म स्वयंभु, ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥ ३ ॥
इति षष्ठं ब्राह्मणम् ॥

ghṛtakauśikād, ghṛtakauśikaḥ pārāśaryāyaṇāt, pāraśaryāyaṇaḥ pārāśaryāt, pārāśaryo jātūkarṇyāt, jātūkarṇya āsurāyaṇācca yāskācca, āsurāyaṇastraivaṇeḥ, traivaṇiraupajandhaneḥ, aupajandhanirāsureḥ, ausurirbhāradvājāt, bhāradvāja ātreyāt, atreyo māṇṭeḥ, māṇṭirgautamāt, gautamo gautamāt, gautamo vātsyāt, vātsyaḥ śāṇḍilyāt, śāṇḍilyaḥ kaiśoryātkāpyāt, kaiśoryaḥ kāpyaḥ kumārahāritāt, kumārahārito gālavāt, gālavo vidarbhīkauṇḍinyāt, vidarbhīkauṇḍinyo vatsanapāto bābhravāt, vatsanapādbābhravaḥ pathaḥ saubharāt, panthāḥ saubharo'yāsyādāṅgirasāt, ayāsya āṅgirasa ābhūtestvāṣṭrāt, ābhūtistvāṣṭro viśvarūpāttvāṣṭrāt, viśvarūpastvāṣṭro'śvibhyām, aśvinau dadhīca ātharvaṇāt, dadhyaṅṅātharvaṇo'tharvaṇo daivāt, atharvā daivo mṛtyoḥ prādhvaṃsanāt, mṛtyuḥ prādhvaṃsanaḥ pradhvaṃsanāt, pradhvaṃsana ekarṣeḥ, ekarṣirvipracitteḥ, vipracittirvyaṣṭeḥ, vyaṣṭiḥ sanāroḥ, sanāruḥ sanātanāt, sanātanaḥ sanagāt sanagaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ, parameṣṭhī brahmaṇaḥ, brahma svayaṃbhu, brahmaṇe namaḥ || 3 ||
iti ṣaṣṭhaṃ brāhmaṇam ||

3. From Ghṛtakauśika. Ghṛtakauśika from Pārāśaryāyaṇa. He from Pārāśarya. Pārāśarya from Jātūkarṇya. Jātūkarṇya from Āsurāyaṇa and Yāska. Āsurāyaṇa from Traivaṇi. Traivaṇi from. Aupajandhani. He from Āsuri. Āsuri from Bhāradvāja. Bhāradvāja from Ātreya. Ātreya from Māṇṭi. Māṇṭi from Gautama. Gautama from another Gautama. He from Vātsya. Vātsya from Śāṇḍilya. Śāṇḍilya from Kaiśorya Kāpya. He from Kumārahārita. Kumārahārita from Gālava. Gālava from Vidarbhīkauṇḍinya. He from Vatsanapāt Bābhrava. He from Pathin Saubhara. He from Ayāsya Āṅgirasa. He from Ābhūti Tvāṣṭra. He from Viśvarūpa Tvāṣṭra. He from the Aśvins. They from Dadhyac Ātharvaṇa. He from Atharvan Daiva. He from Mṛtyu Prādhvaṃsana. He from Prādhvaṃsana. Prādhvaṃsana from Ekarṣi. Ekarṣi from Viprachitti. Viprachitti from Vyaṣṭi. Vyaṣṭi from Sanāru. Sanāru from Sanātana. Sanātana from Sanaga. Sanaga from Parameṣṭhin (Virāj). He from Brahman (Hiraṇyagarbha). Brahman is self-born. Salutation to Brahman.

Now the line of teachers for the first two chapters called Madhukāṇḍa, which aim at expounding the knowledge of Brahman, is being given as a eulogy on the latter. This is also a Mantra to be expounded and regularly repeated. The word ‘Vaṃśa’ (line of teachers) is so called because of its resemblance to a bamboo. Just as a bamboo is divided into sections, so is this line of teachers divided into sections beginning from the top down to the root. The order of succession of teachers of the first four chapters (of the last book^[1] of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa) is here spoken of as ‘Vaṃśa.’ In this list the names in the nominative case stand for the disciples, and those in the ablative case stand for the teachers. Parameṣṭhin is Virāj. From Brahman or Hiraṇyagarbha^[2]; beyond him the line of teachers does not extend. As for Brahman,^[3] It is self horn, eternal. Salutation to that eternal Brahman.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Of which the opening chapter of this work forms the third chapter (Kāṅva recension).

[2]:

In whose mind the Vedas were revealed through the grace of the Lord, the 'Brahman' next mentioned.

[3]:

The Supreme Brahman, of which the Vedas are but another form; hence there can be no question of their originating from some other source.